Volume 4, Number 11
November 2006
As always, special thanks go out to Zola Levitt Ministries / T o The Jew F irst Ministry for their ongoing funding contributions To First to B’rit Hadashah Ministries, helping to make these mission trips to Israel possible.
O
n our second day in Jerusalem, Paul and I went to the Kotel (the Western Wall). The Kotel is considered the holiest site in Judaism . On our way, we stopped at a souvenir shop in the Armenian quarter of the Old City to visit the congenial owner George, Todd Baker whom I have known from prior trips to Israel. George is an Armenian believer in Jesus who is strong and vocal about his faith. When we arrived, George warmly greeted us and introduced us to his friend, Eli. Eli was a Jewish man who told us that he was descended from the Kohenim (the Levitical priests from the tribe of Levi). He further shared with us his spiritual journey in and out of Jewish orthodoxy. The Lord allowed us to candidly share with Eli the wonderful reality that the Jewish Messiah has already come and is soon to return. The evidence that the Messiah has already come is proven by the many fulfilled Messianic prophecies that found their literal and historical fulfillment in the birth, life, ministry, death, and resurrection of Yeshua of Nazareth. At this point in the conversation, Eli recalled that his name in Hebrew reminded him of the opening verse of Psalm 22, which says, “My God, My God, why have You forgotten me.” In Hebrew or Aramaic, the verse reads, “Eli, Eli lama sabachthani.” Eli in Hebrew means, “My God.” I excitedly Todd shares with Eli while George told Eli that strums in the background Psalm 22 was a Messianic Psalm quoted by Yeshua on the cross (Matthew 27:46). Psalm 22, which has been popularly called “The Psalm of the Cross,” predicted in detail the type of death the Messiah would suffer. The Psalm clearly speaks of Jesus as the atoning Messiah crucified for our sins. “They have pierced My hands and feet” I quoted Psalm 22:16 (“They feet”) to drive home the point that Jesus’ crucifixion was being alluded to here in this verse and was foretold by King David some 1,000 years before Jesus was born! Eli was noticeably intrigued at all this. Paul and I were able to give him a list of these prophecies found in the Tenach that were fulfilled in the life of Yeshua. To that end, he gladly accepted a Hebrew New Testament for further study. Eli told us he was going to start reading it right away! At the Western Wall, the Lord opened to us more witnessing opportunities for Yeshua. By the providence of God, Paul and I were able
Part 7 “They were pleased to do it, and indeed they owe it to them. For if the Gentiles have shared in the Jews’ spiritual blessings, they owe it to the Jews to share with them their material blessings.” Romans 15:27
to share with a few of the Orthodox Jews. We identified Yeshua as the Messiah and spoke of the return of the Jews to the land of Israel to be reunited with this returning Messiah. We gave them Messianic Gospel tracts. At the synagogue adjacent to the Western Wall, we placed some Hebrew New Testaments on the bookshelves. As we were leaving, Paul ran into a young Rabbi whose name was Yoshi. Paul told him that we love the Jewish people, that our hearts are with them, and that God has not forsaken them (Romans 11:1-2). Paul was able to share Yeshua the Messiah with him by giving him a Gospel tract. The Rabbi told Paul that he worked for an organization that helps poor Jewish families in Jerusalem. Paul quoted Psalm 37:25 to encourage Yoshi that God will provide all his needs and Paul gave him a donation to help him Paul shares a tract containing the message of along. ✞ Yeshua with a young Rabbi named Yoshi